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Last night at 8:31, the sun went out.
We walked down to the beach after lunch and swam while we waited.
The timing could not have been better. Totality landed right above the clouds. Then a cloud took the sun for a while, and when it gave it back, we watched a crescent set into the water.
8:31 PM. NINETY-SIX SECONDS OF THIS.
The sun was only about two degrees above the water when it went dark. Totality lasted ninety-six seconds. The planning that went into being in the right place for it took hundreds of times longer.
Maybe thousands.
Getting to the west coast of Mallorca at all required a travel permit. You needed a qualifying hotel or restaurant reservation to drive out.
So we booked a late lunch.
The drive normally takes 45 minutes. From the time I woke up I was checking traffic every 15 to 30 minutes, watching for the moment it started to slow, because we expected it to take a lot longer than 45 and we didn't want to miss the reservation that was also our permit.
Most of my travel plans can move.
Flights reschedule. Bookings cancel. Weather windows shift, and twelve years of this life have mostly been about keeping options open as long as I can.
An eclipse is the other kind of plan.
Totality started on time whether I was standing in the right place or not. The sky doesn't reschedule.
And this one came with an ending most eclipses don't get: the sun set before the moon finished letting it go.
8:43 PM. STILL ECLIPSED ON THE WAY DOWN.
CLAIM THEM BEFORE THEY EXPIRE
I have two Alaska Lounge day passes that expire September 30, and I won't be flying Alaska Airlines before then. If you've got an upcoming Alaska Airlines flight, hit reply and tell me where you're headed.
First two replies with a qualifying flight get them (and say so if you need both for a travel companion)!
— Caroline
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ON THE GROUND
📍 39.6533° N, 2.4816° E — lunch here doubled as our permit to get to the west side of the island.
🌑 Current vibe: Still looking out
🌍 Countries visited: 130 / 193
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